Géominpal Belgica

Découvertes géologiques, minéralogiques et paléontologiques

en Belgique.

4

(Supplement)

From Apristurus-like animals to Raja-like animals.

By

Jacques Herman1 and Hilde Van Waes1

1G-Mail: jacquesalbertherman@gmail.com

December 2012

Lower view of the anterior part of the skeleton of one female of Scyliorhinus canicula (LINNAEUS, 1758)

North Sea – Oostende fish-market – 23.12.1892 - Female specimen – Determination – Louis Giltay 1920

Collection of the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium - Section Recent Vertebrates

N° R.G.: 5954 – N° I.G.: 1387g

Authorisation Georges Lenglet - Photo Frederik Mollen.

HERMAN Jacques Editeur H

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Editeur responsable: Docteur Jacques Herman. I.S.S.N. : 2033 - 6365

Beigemsesteenweg 319. 1852. Beigem (Grimbergen). Belgique – België – Belgien.

G-Mail: jacquesalbertherman@gmail.com

Web Site: www.geominpal.be

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Plan of this Notula

1.Dedication: p. 3

1. Summary: p. 4

2. Résumé: p. 4

3. Samenvatting: p. 4

4. Kurzfassung: p. 4

5. Introduction: p. 4

6. Introduction: p. 4

7. Introductie: p. 5

8. Biological Evolution: p. 5

9. Odontological Evolution: p. 5

9.1. Root structure: p. 5

9.2. Crown structure: p. 5

9.3. Electricity: p. 6

9.4. Bioluminescence: p. 6

9.5. Mode of life: p. 6

9.6. Geological and palaeontological data: p. 7

10. The Natural History of the Genus Scyliorhinus de BLAINVILLE, 1816: p. 7

11. Similarities between the evolution of the Family Scyliorhinidae (Neoselachii)

and the evolution of the Family Macrouridae (Teleostei): p. 8

12. Materials utilised for the revision of the Carcharhiniformes: p. 8

12.1. Recent material: p. 8

12.2. Fossil material: p: 9

13. Acknowledgements: p. 9

14. Additional Bibliography: p. 9

14.1. Additional Bibliography: p. 9

14.2. Special References: p. 11

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In remembrance of Mine-Engineer André Delmer

History of Sciences

and Philosophy

André Delmer, the fourth Director of the Belgian Geological Survey, enjoyed telling with a

discrete and enigmatic smile the following anecdote he had heard from the Belgian geologist

explorer of the Congo, Jules Cornet, who had discovered this fascinating short story in the

private correspondence of Michel Mourlon, the first Director of the Belgian Geological

Survey.

During a nocturnal banquet, after a tiresome Academic Palms distribution, the geologist Jules

Cornet astonished His Majesty Léopold II of Belgium telling Him: Sire, au contraire de ce

que les Cassini osèrent faire* au Roi Louis XV, il m’est venu à l’idée que si Vous m’autorisiez

à déplier votre bonne Wallonie, la superficie de votre Royaume, pour le moins, triplée s’en

trouverait, et cela, sans diminuer d’un pouce carré le territoire de nos puissants et belliqueux

voisins.

*Reduce, without battles, the French Kingdom by a good fifth of its national territory. Demonstration

which received the following Royal sanction: Messieurs, vous et votre famille m’avez coûté une

fortune pour arriver à un résultat plus désastreux que celui que le moins doué de mes Maréchaux

aurait pu m’annoncer. Coquins retournez sans tarder en votre pays de larrons et soyez heureux,

qu’ami des Sciences et des Beaux-Arts, Nous vous laissons têtes sur épaules !

Jules Cornet added, precising his reflexion: Si ce raisonnement est l’évidence même, comment faut-il

concevoir la forme de notre Continent? La chose n’en est que plus étonnante car elle est valable pour

toutes les terres connues.

How could he have better explained the successive deformation of the Earth, when Alfred Wegener

was not yet born?

To all the people passionate about Scientific Research.

Jacques Herman,

At Beigem,

28th December 2012

Jacques Herman

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1.Summary

This Notula aims at making the suggested modus operandi transition process between the primitive populations

of Scyliorhinomorphii and the primitive populations of Batomorphii, which apparently occurred during the

Upper Jurassic, more comprehensive. (cf.: Géominpal Belgica 4, p.63).

2.Résumé

Cette Notula a pour but de rendre plus compréhensible le modus operandi suggéré de transition entre les

populations primitives de Scyliorhinomorphii et les populations primitives de Batomorphii qui s’est,

vraisemblablement, produit en Europe occidentale, au cours du Jurassique supérieur. (cf.: Géominpal Belgica 4,

p.63).

3.Samenvatting

Deze Notula heeft als bedoeling de voorgestelde modus operandi van de transitie tussen de primitieve populaties

van Scyliorhinomorphii en de primitieve populaties van Batomorphii, die zich waarschijnlijk in westelijk Europa

voordeed, gedurende het Boven Jurassic, duidelijker te maken. (cf.: Géominpal Belgica 4, p.63).

4.Kurzfassung

Mit dieser ergänzenden Erläuterung wird beabsichtigt, den modus operandi des vermuteten Übergangs basaler

Populationen von Scyliorhinomorphii zu basalen Populationen von Batomorphii verständlicher darzustellen, so

wie er sich wahrscheinlich während des Oberen Jura in Westeuropa vollzogen hat. (cf.: Géominpal Belgica 4,

p.63).

5.Introduction

The argumentation for a better comprehension of this singular suggestion reposes on different biological data

concerning the reproduction mode of these two taxa of very high systematic rank, such as the degree of evolution

of their dentition, their capacity of detection of electricity sources, their own capacity to produce electricity and

their favourite environments.

The last elements are furnished by diverse palaeontological data and diverse geological data, collected in

different parts of the present world.

The enormous palaeogeographical differences existing between the ancient localisations of these fossiliferous

places, resulting from the last 140 million years of continental drift, furnish the last arguments of this very

complex hypothesis.

6.Introduction

L’argumentation destinée à apporter une meilleure compréhension de cette singulière suggestion repose sur

différentes données biologiques concernant le mode de reproduction de ces deux taxa, de rang systématique très

élevé, comme le degré d’évolution de leur dentition, leur capacité à détecter diverses sources d’électricité, leur

propre capacité d’en produire et leur environnements favoris.

Les derniers éléments de cette argumentation sont fournis par différentes données paléontologiques et différentes

données géologiques, collectées en différentes parties du monde actuel.

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Les énormes différences paléogéographiques existant entre les anciennes localisations de ces sites fossilifères et

leurs emplacements actuels, résultant des dernières 140 millions d’années de dérive continentale, fournissent les

derniers arguments de cette hypothèse très complexe.

7.Introductie

De argumentatie nodig voor een beter begrip van deze originele suggestie berust op verschillende biologische

data die de evolutie betreffen van hun dentitie, hun capaciteit de verschillende mogelijke elektriciteitsbronnen te

detecteren, hun eigen capaciteit om elektriciteit te produceren en hun favoriete omgevingen.

De laatste elementen ter staving van deze hypothese berusten op verscheidene paleontologische en geologische

gegevens, verzameld in verschillende delen van de huidige wereld.

De enorme paleografische verschillen vastgesteld tussen de oude lokalisaties van deze fossiel houdende lagen en

hun huidige positie, veroorzaakt door de 140 miljoen jaren van continentale drift, verschaffen de laatste

argumenten van deze zeer complexe hypothese.

8.Biological Evolution

The common reproduction mode of the most primitive Scyliorhiniformes and the most primitive Batoidei was

oviparity, just like the living ones.

The eggs of their diverse populations present some diversifications in length and width, which seems of little

signification. The thickness of the walls and their transparency seem to have been more significant, particularly

for the Scyliorhinomorphii living in shallow waters.

A pluri-millimetric wall thickness makes the eggs more resistant, but the transparency of the wall considerably

decreases the duration of the maturation.

9.Odontological Evolution

Their root structure and the connection of their dental crown with their dental root are also, by its similarity, very

significant.

All the teeth of all the populations of their different species present the same type of dental-root and dental-

crown structure.

9.1.Root Structure

Passing from an enhanced hemiaulacorhizy, valid definition for all the Scyliorhinomorphii, to a perfect

holaulacorhorhizy, valid definition for all the Batoidei*. All the Scyliorhiniformes and all the Batoidei have also

preserved a medial-intern protuberance, morphologically and structurally similar.

*Polyaulacorhizy results from a process of lateral fusion of holaulacorhorhizyd elements.

9.2.Crown structure

Their fundamental relation crown-root junction is identic: the basal outer side of their dental crown overhangs

the top of their dental root.

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9.3.Electricity

Their living taxa have a similar ability to detect latent sources of electricity as well as the capacity to emit

electricity themselves. Some of the Batoid taxa have increased their production of electricity to be able to

produce brutal, sudden and repetitive electro-shocks, such as all the species of the Genus Torpedo HOUTTUYN,

1764.

The biological system of production of electricity*, its modus operandi, its decreasing repetitiveness and its

power are remarkably described by Max Poll in 1947.

*For the species Torpedo ocellata RAFINESQUE, 1810 (See Bibliography: POLL, M. 1947: p. 82-83).

Other fishes have also developed, and augmented, this faculty. The most successful are members of the

teleostean fishes of the Order Gymnotiformes comprising only the Family Electrophoridae*, represented by the

two following Genera: Gymnotus LINNAEUS, 1758 and Electrophorus GILL, 1864.

*The author of this Family remains unknown, but it would not be surprising that he was the Prussian Scientific Alexander

von Humboldt, who gave the best, and the most impressive, descriptions of the potential electricity production and their

effects on horses and human people in his famous Memoirs: Voyage fait aux Régions Equinoxiales du Nouveau Continent

1791-1804.

It is difficult to suggest any phyletic relation between these two Orders. Such examples are useful to demonstrate

that the acquisition and development of singular characteristics are possible for different zoological groups.

9.4.Bioluminescence

The numerous deep water populations of the Genus Apristurus GARMAN, 1913, (former Scyliorhinidae, Scylio-

rhiniformes, Scyliorhinomorphii, Neoselachii) have a similar degree of production of bioluminescence as the

deep water populations of the Genus Dipturus RAFINESQUE, 1810 (Rajidae, Rajiformes, Batoidei).

All the living taxa of the Genus Apristurus, being deep to very deep water inhabitants, demonstrate that the

separation between the Apristurus populations and the first Rajidae populations must logically have occurred

before the first phases of the progressive colonisation of the lower part of the continental shelves, which means

the end of the Upper Jurassic period.

The biological system of production of electricity*, its modus operandi, its decreasing repetitiveness and its

power were remarkably described by Dominique Champiat et Jean Paul Larpent (See Biliography: CHAMPIAT

& LARPENT, 1952).

*A large variety of abyssal Teleostean fishes have also developed this faculty: consult the Wikipedia List concerning

Bioluminescence.

9.5.Mode of life

The diverse populations of the diverse species of the Genus Apristurus and the diverse populations of all the

different species of the Super-Order Batomorphii are benthic animals, living on, or near, the sea bottom.

This mode of life offers an ideal observation post to localise potential preys and the approach of eventual

predators. A rapid camouflage is always realisable and these spots represent good places to lay and, sometimes,

to anchor their eggs, and to assure the feeding of their young, when these emerge from their egg-case.

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9.6.Geological and paleontological data

In the domain of the utilisation of diverse geological data, the geographical position of one fossiliferous locality,

a strange Fixism remains. One problem is, practically, always forgotten. The utilisation or interpretation of

palaeontological data (fossils) engender three questions: their determination, their age and where their

discovering place was situated when they died (e.g.: this fossil is an anterior tooth of Premontreia degremonti

CAPPETTA, 1992, its age is Middle Ypresian, its discovering place is Ampe Clay Pit, near Egem (Western

Flanders, Belgium), but where was the Ampe Clay Pit 52 million years ago?

The answer is: approximately at a distance of 6.500 kilometres in the South East of its actual position, which

means at a subequatorial latitude where, presently, the temple of Abu Simbel is situated. (See Bibliography:

BLESS & FERNANDEZ-NARVAIZA 2000).

The apparition of the first populations of the Super Order Scyliorhinomorphii dates from the European Upper

Jurassic. The apparition of the first populations of the Genus Scyliorhinus de BLAINVILLE, 1816 dates from the

European Upper Cretaceous.

The apparition of the first populations of the Genus Eotorpedo WHITE, 1934 (Family Torpedinidae BONAPARTE,

1838) is dated from the Upper Palaeocene strata of North Africa.

In Central Europe, teeth of the same Genus Eotorpedo were rare, but regularly signalised from the Lower Eocene

strata of the Parisian Basin. It is of course not sure that the Eotorpedo species emitted electricity.

The teeth of the oldest populations of the Genus Raja LINNAEUS, 1758 were discovered in Lower Oligocene

strata, just after the Eocene-Oligocene Transition, in Germany (Chattian) and in Belgium (Rupelian).

This fact allows supposing that the possible ancestors of the Genus Raja are some populations of the former

Scyliorhiniformes existing at this period, in the same areas where the Rajiformes appeared.

The only Genus of the Scyliorhiniformes which complies with this double request, phyletic (same period) and

palaeoecological (same areas), is the Genus Scyliorhinus represented in this zone at this period by diverse taxa,

themselves direct ancestors of the numerous living species of Scyliorhinus inhabitants* of zones comprised

between the Caribbean Sea and the North Sea. *(See the following chapter).

A large part of the Bibliography, included in this Notula, is devoted to geological and tectonic references, some

of these demonstrate the existence of some mini-continents and diverse Archipelagos having existed in the

central and eastern Pacific, but which disappeared by successive subductions.

10.The Natural History of the Genus Scyliorhinus de BLAINVILLE, 1816

Contrarily to all the other Genera of the Super Order Scyliorhiniformes, the different successive populations of

the diverse species of the Genus Scyliorhinus seem to have been perfectly satisfied with the diverse

environmental places offered between* the eastern American coasts and the Lebanese coasts during the Upper

Cretaceous period and the actual period.

*Before approximately the last 60 million years, the North Atlantic did not exist. This means that these coasts were separated

by a maximum of 6.000 kilometres and not by the actual 13.000 to 14.000 kilometres. In fact, 6.000 kilometres between the

same latitudes.

How they succeeded to survive more than 80 million years in the same environments is another question. This

primitive Mediterranean Sea presented a multitude of very diversified types of coasts bordering shallow waters,

which seem to have been their favourite diversification places.

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During the Upper Cretaceous, the majority of the eastern coasts of America, but also these of the London Basin,

the Paris Basin, the Mons Basin and the occidental part of the Limburg Basin were bordered by shallow warm

waters.

The eastern coasts of the Limburg Basin offered deep continental slopes and the northern zones of western

Germany were constituted of deep water chalky deposits. The dominant calcium-carbonate fraction (up to 98%)

consists of accumulations of fragments of the thecae of Coccolithophoridales*, mass representing an incredibly

long, slow and continuous sedimentation.

* Coccolithophoridales are micrometric Algae characterising the chalk deposits from the Lower Campanian to the uppermost

Maastrichtian deposits of the entire world.

Such a diversity of environments was favourable for a very high diversification of the species of the Genus

Scyliorhinus, explaining the existence of the different ancestral populations of the living species encountered

from the Caribbean Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and, most recently, in the North Sea from the Belgian coasts

to the southern Norwegian coasts

After a careful reading of the FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125(10) devoted to the Gadiform fishes of the World, it is

evident that it is possible to reconstitute the Natural History of this Order such as done for the former Scylio-

rhiniformes.

11. Similarities between the evolution of the Family Scyliorhinidae (Neoselachii)

and the evolution of the Family Macrouridae (Teleostei)

Two Genera are sufficient to illustrate this suggestion: the Genus Coryphaenoides GUNNERUS, 1765 and the

Genus Nezumia JORDAN, 1904.

All the populations of the different valid species of the Genus Coryphaenoides have a long tail and scales with,

more or less, sophisticated spines (single and elongated to elongated and tricuspids), but all the populations of

the different valid species of the Genus Nezumia have a long tail and elongated scales with moncuspid spines.

Other Genera of the Family Macrouridae GILBERT & HUBBS, 1916, present other scales morphotypes allowing

to reconstitute the evolution of the Family.

The majority of the specific taxa of these two Genera also colonised progressively the lower parts of the

continental slopes, the abyssal bottoms and, finally, the hadal trenches.

This happened with a short geological time scale interval because the Macrouridae (Teleostei) are more evolved

than the Scyliorhinidae (Neoselachii).

Like the Scyliorhinomorphii they could only colonise a Sea once it existed (e.g.: the Sea of Cortez), which

allows to precise when certain taxa appeared.

12. Materials utilised for the revision

of the former Order Carcharhiniformes

12.1. Recent material

Quantitative aspect and Sources

The material utilised by the senior-author to propose all his considerations concerning the different taxa of the

former Order Carcharhiniformes has the same national and foreign provenances as the material utilised for the

revision of the former Order Scyliorhiniformes.

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12.2. Fossil material

Quantitative aspect and Sources

In fact, in the English-French-Belgian Basin, the fossil teeth of the different taxa of the Order of the

Carcharhiniformes*, being largely more frequent than these of the Scyliorhiniformes, it is difficult to precise the

number of teeth collected by the different friends operating crews or their real frequency.

*The Carcharhiniformes, being larger predators than the Scyliorhiniformes, represent in different Belgian strata the top of the

ecological pyramid. The largest predator (e.g.: Cosmopolitodus hastalis, Megaselachus megalodon or Carcharodon

carcharias) are ecological curiosities and represented by a very low number of teeth in these strata.

13. Acknowledgements All the persons mentioned in Géominpal Belgica 4

and some

special acknowledgements for the following senior-author friends:

Hughes Doutrelepont, Georges Lenglet, Pieter De Schutter,

Dirk Hovestadt, Maria Euler-Hovestadt,

and Frederik Mollen,

who helped the senior-author when he realised the necessity to develop the argumentation

of his Natural History of the Scyliorhiniformes.

14. Bibliography

1

14.1. Additional Bibliography

Geology and Tectonic

(See the comments following some references)

BLESS, M., J., M., L. & FERNANDEZ-NARVAIZA, M., C. 2000: L’odyssée de l’Euro-Meuse-Rhin.

Professional Paper of the Geological Survey of Belgium. 291: 86p., 38 fig., 32 cartes. (The most comprehensive

large public approach of the Plates Tectonic, which many biologists, but also palaeontologists must read.)

BROWN, D., A., CAMPBELL, K., S., W. & CROOK, K., A., W. 1983: The Geological Evolution of Australia

and New Zealand. Pergamon Press. 410 p. (View with a special attention: fig. 12.6 Drift structures of New

Zealand).

BENNISSON, A., E. & WRIGHT, G., M. 1978: The Geological History of the British Iles. Edward Arnold Ltd.

406 p.

BRIGGS, J., C. 2003: The biogeographic and tectonic history of India. Journal of Biogeography. 30: 381-388.

CHOUBERI, G. & MARCAIS, J. 1952: Géologie du Maroc. Fascicule 1. Aperçu structural. Histoire géologique

du Massif de l’Anti-Atlas. Notes et Mémoires du Service Géologique du Maroc. 100: 196p.

CLUZEL, D. 1991: Late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic geodynamic evolution of the Circum-Pacific orogenic belt

in South Korea and Southwest Japan. Earth and Planetary Sciences Letters. 108: 289-305.

COULMY, D. & PAGE, J.-P. 1974: Les ressources de l’Océan. Presses de la Cité. 294p. (View with a special

attention: Pl.1: 2: -4.500 metres, off the Matapan Cape, Pl.2: A volcano emerges from the sea, off Iceland and

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Pl.6: -5.000 metres, Pacific Ocean bottom: nodules (of manganese*) covering the bottom. *Precision of the

senior-author.

DARMAN, H. & SIDI, H. Eds. 2000: An outline of the Geology of Indonesia. Indonesian Geologists Asso-

ciation Publication. 2000: 192p. (The most recent overview of this subject).

FABRE, J. 2005: Géologie du Sahara occidental et central. Tervueren Geoscience Collection. 108: 572p.

FAURE, M, CARIDROIT, M. & CHARVET, J. 1986: The late Jurassic oblique collisional orogen of southwest

Japan: new structural data and synthesis. Tectonics. 5: 1089-1114.

HASHIMOTO, M. Ed. 1990: Geology of Japan. Developments in Earth and Planetary Sciences. 8: 250p.

HEEZEN, B., C., JOHSON, C., L. & HOLLISTER, C., D. 1969: The Northwest Atlantic Mid-Ocean Canyon.

Revue Canadienne des Sciences de la Terre. 6(6): 1441-1458.

HIDE, T., W., C., UYEDA, S. & KROENKE, L. 1977: Evolution of the western Pacific and its margin. Journal

of Tectonophysics. 38: 145-165.

HSU, K., J. 1972: When the Mediterranean dried up. Scientific American. December 1972 (An interesting

evocation of this often forgotten phenomenon).

KODAMA, K., TAIRA, A., OKAMURA, M. & SAITO, Y. 1983 : Palaeomagnetism of the Shimanto Belt in

Shikoku, Southwest Japan in Accretion Tectonics in the Circum-Pacific Regions. Hashimoto & Uyeda Eds. Terra

Scientific Publishing Company. 1983: 231-241.

LIEGEOIS, J.-P., BENHALLOU, A., SEKKALA, A., Z., YAHIAHOI, R. & BONIN, B. 1952: The Hoggar

swell and volcanism, Tuareg shield, Central Sahara: intraplate reactivation of Precambrian structures as a

result of Alpine convergences. Library of Congress. Catalog to in Publishing data.1952: 379-481.

McGONIGAL, D. & WOODWORTH, L. 2002: Antartica: the blue continent. The Five Mile Press. 224p.

MEERT, J. G. & LIEBERMAN, R., S. 2004: The Neoprotorezoic assemblage of Gondwana. On-line document

since 2007.

MITCHELL-THOME, D., C. 1970: Geology of the South Atlantic Islands. Gebrüder Borntrage Ed. 367p.

SALVADOR, A. 1991 : Origin and development of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Geological Society of America.

1991: 389-444.

STONEHOUSE, B. 2002: Encyclopedia of Antartica and the Southern Oceans. John Wiley & Sons. 391p.

OTSUKI, K. 1992: Oblique subduction of mini-continents and Subduction of oceanic ridges: Their implications

on the Cretaceous tectonics of Japan. Island Free. 1: 51-63.

UYEDA, S. & MIYASHIRO, S. 1974: Plate tectonics and the Japanese islands: a synthesis. Journal of the

Geological Society of America. 85: 1159-1170.

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Palaeontology

MILAN, J., RASMUSSEN, B. & BONDE, N. 2012: Coprolithes with preys and traces from coprophagous

organisms from the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian), Jydegaard Formation of Bornholm, Denmark. New Mexico

Museum of Natural History and Science. 57: 235-239.

NOËL, D. 1970 : Coccolithes crétacés. La craie campanienne du Bassin de Paris. Eds. C.N.R.S. 130p., 23 fig.,

48 pl.

SCHMID, W. Ed. 1982: Das Maastricht in Nordwestdeutschland, Fossielen aus der Schreibkreide. Neues

Jahrbuch, R. A. 6: 289 p.

14.2. Special References

Bioelectricity

POLL, M. 1947: Faune de Belgique. Poissons marins. Patrimoine du Musée royal d’Histoire naturelle de la

Belgique. Bruxelles. 452 p., 267 fig. and 3 maps. (Read: p.: 82-83).

Bioluminescense

CHAMPIAT, D. & LARPENT, J. P. 1993: Biochililuminescence. Principes et applications. Eds. Masson. 531p.

Biodiversity

COHEN, D., M., INADA, T., IWAMOTO, T. & SCIALABBA, N. 1990: Gadiform Fishes of the Word (Order

Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated Catalogue of Cods, Hakes, Grenadiers and other Gadiforms known to

date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. 125(10): 183-286.

NOUVIAN, C. 2008: Abysses. Text and photo-album. 258p. Presses de La Palina, Luçon, France. (This

publication is in fact a wonderful compilation of the numerous abyssal water living forms).

SHIRIHAI, H. 2008: The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. Second ED. Princeton University Press. 544 p.

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Diffusion de Géominpal Belgica 4 (Supplément):

Editeur responsable: Docteur Jacques Herman. I.S.S.N. : 2033 - 6365

Beigemsesteenweg 319. 1852 Beigem (Grimbergen). Belgique – België –

Belgien.

G-mail: jacquesalbertherman@gmail.com

Website, freely accessible: www.geominpal.be

The original PDF was sent the 29th

December 2012 to the Belgian Royal Library, Legal

Electronic Depot Survey.

Additional PDF copies were sent to the Library of the following Official Institutions:

In BELGIUM:

S.G.B. (Brussels), I.R.S.N.B. (Brussels), U.L.B. (Brussels), V.U.B. (Brussels), R.U.G. (Gent),

KINA Museum (Gent), U.E.L. (Liège via ORBi).

In OTHER COUNTRIES:

M.N.H.N. Paris (F), S.V.P. Bethesda (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) (GB), Naturalis Museum

(NL) and N.H.M.M. (NL).

And to the following persons concerned (alphabetical classification):

J.-P. Baut (F), Jacques Boel (B), Taco Bor (NL), Didier Dutheil (F), Dirk en Maria Hovestadt (NL),

Alberto Cione (E), Eric Collier (F), René Fraaije (NL), Bertrand Génault (F), Hermann Goethals (B),

Gerardo Gonzalez-Barba (E), Arie Janssen (NL), John Maisey (U.S.A.), Frederik Mollen (B), Dirk Nolf

(B), Noud Peeters (NL), Fritz Pfeil (D), Eric Simon (B), Etienne Steurbaut (B),Thierry Smith (B), Bernard

Séret (F), Matthias Stehmann (D), Pieter De Schutter (B), Louis Taverne (B), Detlev Thies (D), and Barry

van Bakel (NL), Eric Vanderhoeft (B), Eric Wille (B) and Didier Winderickx (B).

And to all the unknown researchers: independent ones, students or graduates.

Thanks to the freely accessible Website mentioned above.